Daycare pilot started in Fort St. John for healthcare workers

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A daycare pilot project was recently started in Fort St. John to benefit rotating, extended-shift healthcare workers in the area.

The YMCA Robert Ogilvie Care and Learning Centre is hosting the project, with YMCA BC as the service provider, handling the full scope of the program, such as registration and scheduling. 

The project is being funded by the Ministry of Health’s Health & Human Resources Fund, according to Northern Health.

The project will explore the feasibility of an extended-day childcare model running from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The project was slated to open for enrollment in August 2022, but after upgrades to the facility, registration opened on March 1st.

Viva Swanson, advisor, leadership development, North East Community Services Management at Northern Health, said extended daycare is needed in Fort St. John.

“This has been in the works since the fall of 2019. We’re trying something new that has never been done before,” Swanson said. 

“We don’t have a single care provider in the community that is open that early and stays open that late. Some might stay that late, some might start that early, but none do both.”

Northern Health said the daycare is also different because of the built-in scheduling flexibility, including a new payment scheme trial.

Parents will only pay for the time and services provided instead of full-time child care.

“Currently [workers] have to pay for a full-time spot, when their rotation is such as they rarely need five days a week,” said Swanson.

“We’re rotating shift workers, 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., and then 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. [Parents] have to come up with two or three different strategies because [daycares] close at 6 pm, so [parents] still have to figure out what to do. Somebody’s got to pick up your kid before the end of the shift.”

The project is a participant in the government’s $10-a-Day ChildCareBC program.

According to Northern Health, both regular and casual staff use the program, and some have more than one child in care.

Registration continues, and space remains, though the younger age groups are reaching full capacity.

Northern  Health is still promoting the program in Fort St. John healthcare facilities and encourages staff to use the YMCA’s Weemarkable app to check availability.